US appoints Frank Ruggiero as new Af-Pak special envoy

WASHINGTON - Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Frank Ruggiero, has been appointed as the acting US Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan following the death of Richard Holbrooke.

“He (Ruggiero) will lead the SRAP (Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan) structure that Richard Holbrooke constructed and will really serve as one of his finest legacies, assisted by two deputies, Dan Feldman and Vikram Singh,” Xinhua news agency quoted US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley, as saying.

“You know, the SRAP structure that will continue on in his absence combines individuals and experts from across government. It incorporates international partners into the structure,” Crowley added.

Ruggiero has served as regional head of US Provincial Reconstruction Teams in southern Afghanistan.

He has also served in the US Bureau of Political and Military Affairs.

Holbrooke died on Monday at the age of 69 after undergoing surgery for a torn aorta.

The State Department said that despite Holbrooke’s death, it is expected that US policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan will remain on the same path. (ANI)